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Sunny Afternoon
Reprise 0497 (US) |Writer = Ray Davies |Producer = Shel Talmy |Last single = "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" (1966) |This single = "Sunny Afternoon" (1966) |Next single = "Dead End Street" (1966) --- "Dandy" (Non-UK, 1966) }} "Sunny Afternoon" is a song by The Kinks, written by chief songwriter Ray Davies. The track later featured on the Face to Face album as well as being the title track for their 1967 compilation album. Like its contemporary "Taxman" by The Beatles, the song references the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson. Its strong music hall flavour and lyrical focus was part of a stylistic departure for the band (begun with 1965's "A Well Respected Man"), which had risen to fame in 1964–65 with a series of hard-driving, power-chord rock hits. Background "Sunny Afternoon" was first written in Ray Davies' house when he was sick. }} Davies said of the song's lyrics, "The only way I could interpret how I felt was through a dusty, fallen aristocrat who had come from old money as opposed to the wealth I had created for myself." In order to prevent the listener from sympathizing with the song's protagonist, Davies said, "I turned him into a scoundrel who fought with his girlfriend after a night of drunkenness and cruelty." The song was recorded quickly, during a session described by Ray Davies as "atmospheric." }} Release and reception Released as a single on 3 June 1966, it went to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart on 7 July 1966, remaining there for two weeks. The track also went to No. 1 in Ireland on 14 July 1966. In America, it peaked at No. 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart early autumn 1966. The promotional video for the single featured the band performing in a cold, snowy environment. "Sunny Afternoon" was placed at No. 200 on Pitchfork Media's list of The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s. The song is featured in and is the title song of West End musical Sunny Afternoon. Chart performance Weekly charts Year-end charts Covers The song has been covered by performers including: * The Standells on their 1967 album The Hot Ones! *Jan and Dean on their album Silver Summer (1985) *Jimmy Buffett on his Fruitcakes album (1994) *Arjen Anthony Lucassen on his Strange Hobby (1997) *Tommy Scott, in a duet with Tom Jones, on Jones' Reload album (1999) *Stereophonics as a B-side on the Just Looking single on 1999. *Bob Geldof, included on the four-CD compilation, Great Songs of Indifference (2005) *The Cat Empire performed the song for Triple J's "Like A Version" Series in 2009. *Drake Bell performed the song on The Ring Master and on his 2014 album, Ready, Steady, Go! *Nellie McKay on her 2015 album My Weekly Reader. *Os Baobás on their album Os Baobás (1968). References External links * The Official Ray Davies Web Site * Category:The Kinks songs Category:Jan and Dean songs Category:1966 singles Category:Pye Records singles Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Number-one singles in Norway Category:Jimmy Buffett songs Category:Song recordings produced by Shel Talmy Category:Songs written by Ray Davies Category:Tom Jones (singer) songs Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles Category:Counterculture of the 1960s Category:Reprise Records singles